Ok I hope I've posted this on right section. This is my first post. Last Friday I entered a methadone program. Mad and exhausted I've tried suboxone, subutex, cold turkey but constantly end up using and I'm tired of the pain from iv BTH. I entered the clinic at a 3 to 4 ballon (gram) a day habbit. They started me on 30mgs Friday. Sat and Sunday I got 35mg and Tom I think I talk to my counselor to get another increase if needed. I def need it I dose around 5 am it holds be til about 3 pm. I feel about 65 mg or 70 would prob hold me a full 24hrs. How long will it take to get to that. Can you only increase 5mgs a day? And my final ? Is I go to a beach near myrtle in a month for a week long. Now this is a delima I'm new at this clinic take homes are out of ? I assume. I get a Sunday th but that's just 1 bottle. Do u think they will give me take homes a month from now? I've Google clinics near oib (beach I'm going) but the closest seems to be in Wilmington. I guess I need to plan to take the 1hour drive there. Thanks and I hope I abided by all rules. I read carefully I think I did. If this is in wrong section please move it. I've been looking on bluelight 5 years now for help with my addiction but just now created an account. Thanks yall
Methadone clinic newby info pls
- Thread starter Tarheel24
- Start date
David Wooderson
Bluelighter
- Joined
- Feb 11, 2015
- Messages
- 1,344
All clinics are different, so your questions are not so easily answered.
Give yourself a week to get adjusted to your dose, it takes a few days for methadone to builds up in your system, you may feel you still need an increase, you may not.
I went to a clinic literally run by gangbangers, and even they wouldn't let you increase over a max of 10mg a day. Why? Because they want to keep getting payed versus sending you to your grave.
They don't call methadone "liquid handcuffs" for nothing, and I sincerely doubt they will accommodate your vacation seeing that you just started maintenance.
The best advice I can give anyone who is new to methadone maintenance is don't talk to the other customers, they can mess your life up in record time, get a goal and stick with it. Do not increase your dose because you feel uncomfortable, unless your truly dope sick and dry heaving you are much better off staying at the dose you're at. Don't mix benzo's and methadone, you can die.
Without prior experience you can't say you think 65mg would be the right dose, but theoretically it will take you 8-16 days to reach that amount. Be careful, I too felt I needed more and went up too fast and then got higher than I ever did in my whole life. That led to me constantly upping my dosage to maintain that high and really messing my life up. Like I stated it builds up over time, so if you keep asking for increases without letting your body adjust it is too easy to go overboard.
Good luck and welcome to bluelight!
Give yourself a week to get adjusted to your dose, it takes a few days for methadone to builds up in your system, you may feel you still need an increase, you may not.
I went to a clinic literally run by gangbangers, and even they wouldn't let you increase over a max of 10mg a day. Why? Because they want to keep getting payed versus sending you to your grave.
They don't call methadone "liquid handcuffs" for nothing, and I sincerely doubt they will accommodate your vacation seeing that you just started maintenance.
The best advice I can give anyone who is new to methadone maintenance is don't talk to the other customers, they can mess your life up in record time, get a goal and stick with it. Do not increase your dose because you feel uncomfortable, unless your truly dope sick and dry heaving you are much better off staying at the dose you're at. Don't mix benzo's and methadone, you can die.
Without prior experience you can't say you think 65mg would be the right dose, but theoretically it will take you 8-16 days to reach that amount. Be careful, I too felt I needed more and went up too fast and then got higher than I ever did in my whole life. That led to me constantly upping my dosage to maintain that high and really messing my life up. Like I stated it builds up over time, so if you keep asking for increases without letting your body adjust it is too easy to go overboard.
Good luck and welcome to bluelight!
Last edited:
PriestTheyCalledHim
Bluelighter
- Joined
- Oct 7, 2005
- Messages
- 14,724
Moving to other drugs.
manboychef
Bluelighter
- Joined
- May 15, 2013
- Messages
- 4,050
are you not able to make it through detox and a rehab? I tried, methadone, suboxone, subutex, and the thomas method.
Going to detox and long term rehab worked.
Going to detox and long term rehab worked.
speedballs_over
Bluelighter
- Joined
- Sep 13, 2010
- Messages
- 651
TL/DR - I can't make this shorter without leaving out what I feel is good info for a new-ish clinic participant. So... read or ignore, sorry.
OP, talk with your clinic, learn the rules - obey them. It's unusual to get multiple "take outs" so soon into treatment, but there is usually a provision to "courtesy dose" at a clinic near your destination(s).
Warning - it can be a bit pricy compared to your home clinic to courtesy dose. Call ahead, in fact that's always a good idea, so that you know they're expecting you and everything is set. Request courtesy dosing to be set up ASAP after you know you'll be going away.
Some clinic take a few days to get everything transferred over to your distant clinic, they may need the dr to be there and sign off - I don't know, each US clinic is often have very different rules/attitudes. Have all the info about the distant clinic for your home clinic, clinic staff can be lazy and prone to mistakes, delays etc... You really have to advocate for yourself sometimes. If you're lucky, in a way, the two clinics will be owned by the same corporate entity, though many corporate owned clinics tend to suck balls.
There are provisions for genuine emergencies, but if grandma dies expect them to request proof of travel and her death. Sick, I know.
You have to pay the clinic you dose at, they don't just dose you out of true courtesy, they want paid for the methadone, paperwork and such that has to be sent back and forth b/w clinics to establish your dose and report back that you showed up, paid and were dosed each day. Your home clinic should not charge you for the days you are away.
Travel is one of the biggest problems with the US clinic system, and why many people switch to bupe. But if you need or prefer MMT then by all means carry on. It saved my ass. I courtesy dosed on many occasions and it usually worked out very well, get to the courtesy clinic early each day! Have your ID! It beats the needle, 1000x over.
At home and away - toe the line, act respectfully towards the staff, even if they are assholes, pay on time, etc... it goes a long way when you need some slack.
DO NOT skip any days at your clinic unless they know you're dosing elsewhere. Call if you can't make it b/f they close for the day - they want to see/hear from you every damn day, ex. Sunday of course. But they may still punish you. They will cut your dose significantly when you return if you miss X # of days, X often being as low as 1. So saving Sunday doses up for a week away from home will not work out too well, b/c when you return your clinic will not be happy.
All that stated, I'm being very conservative and sort of warning of the worst it could be, things could be much smoother than I made it out to be. Good decision, ime, imo.
A last bit of advice - do not hang out with the crowd at your clinic, don't be talking to the people in line beyond a polite hello/goodbye. It can get you marked by staff as trouble. I know it's not right, but it's for real, keep to yourself and do not get pulled into the blow/xanax/opioid/amp trading bs that exists outside many clinics I've been to, too many to count on one hand. It just leads to a host of new problems.
OP, talk with your clinic, learn the rules - obey them. It's unusual to get multiple "take outs" so soon into treatment, but there is usually a provision to "courtesy dose" at a clinic near your destination(s).
Warning - it can be a bit pricy compared to your home clinic to courtesy dose. Call ahead, in fact that's always a good idea, so that you know they're expecting you and everything is set. Request courtesy dosing to be set up ASAP after you know you'll be going away.
Some clinic take a few days to get everything transferred over to your distant clinic, they may need the dr to be there and sign off - I don't know, each US clinic is often have very different rules/attitudes. Have all the info about the distant clinic for your home clinic, clinic staff can be lazy and prone to mistakes, delays etc... You really have to advocate for yourself sometimes. If you're lucky, in a way, the two clinics will be owned by the same corporate entity, though many corporate owned clinics tend to suck balls.
There are provisions for genuine emergencies, but if grandma dies expect them to request proof of travel and her death. Sick, I know.
You have to pay the clinic you dose at, they don't just dose you out of true courtesy, they want paid for the methadone, paperwork and such that has to be sent back and forth b/w clinics to establish your dose and report back that you showed up, paid and were dosed each day. Your home clinic should not charge you for the days you are away.
Travel is one of the biggest problems with the US clinic system, and why many people switch to bupe. But if you need or prefer MMT then by all means carry on. It saved my ass. I courtesy dosed on many occasions and it usually worked out very well, get to the courtesy clinic early each day! Have your ID! It beats the needle, 1000x over.
At home and away - toe the line, act respectfully towards the staff, even if they are assholes, pay on time, etc... it goes a long way when you need some slack.
DO NOT skip any days at your clinic unless they know you're dosing elsewhere. Call if you can't make it b/f they close for the day - they want to see/hear from you every damn day, ex. Sunday of course. But they may still punish you. They will cut your dose significantly when you return if you miss X # of days, X often being as low as 1. So saving Sunday doses up for a week away from home will not work out too well, b/c when you return your clinic will not be happy.
All that stated, I'm being very conservative and sort of warning of the worst it could be, things could be much smoother than I made it out to be. Good decision, ime, imo.
A last bit of advice - do not hang out with the crowd at your clinic, don't be talking to the people in line beyond a polite hello/goodbye. It can get you marked by staff as trouble. I know it's not right, but it's for real, keep to yourself and do not get pulled into the blow/xanax/opioid/amp trading bs that exists outside many clinics I've been to, too many to count on one hand. It just leads to a host of new problems.
Last edited:
LilikoiMoon
Bluelighter
- Joined
- Oct 16, 2014
- Messages
- 557
I believe I know the clinic you speak of. Inbox me.
For some people, it's better to split a dose. For others, one dose holds all day.
I keep methadone pills on hand when I want a break with meds. I have to split doses from morning to evening.
For some people, it's better to split a dose. For others, one dose holds all day.
I keep methadone pills on hand when I want a break with meds. I have to split doses from morning to evening.